Self-locking base-fuse



E. R. PILLARS'AND H. C. LEESEBERG. f

SELF LOCKING BASE FUSE.

APPLICATION FILED IAN.12. 19m.

1,383,75 l 1 Patented July 5, 1921.

' "01 /MV/y/ Z6 f6 IImII/ f7 2f III -i "MMIII 20 24 "ziiilllll' El Unirse siarns EDWARD n. :eiLLARs AND HENRY c. Lnnsniannjor rosrenia, oHIo.

- .e snLr-Locxiive :Basis-FUSE.

Speciication of LettersLEatent. Patenfd Juliy 5, 192i Application led January 12, 1918. Serial No. 211,655'.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD lt. PILLARS and HENRY C. Liinsnninie, citizens of the United States, residing at Fostoria, in the county of Seneca and State ot Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Locking Base-F uses; and we do hereby dee-lare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description Ot the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part oi' thisspecification.

T he object of this invention is to provide a fuse that will give absolute protection in use and will consist of less parts than any 'fuse now available. Another object-ot the invention is to provide a tuse that can only be lired while the shell to'whicli it is .attaehed is rapidly rotating, this object being* accomplished by having a safety guard slidable in a track or groove, and having a hole which is out oi" alinement with the central hole in the primer at all times except when thrown into alinement by centrifugal action or' the shell. A further object or" the invention is to provide a primer cup and guard that can be assembled as' a unit, and one* which becomes permanent when assembled.

ln the drawings,-

Figure 1 is a vertical section4 through our device.

F ig. 2 is a view at right angles to 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 ot Fig. 1

Fig. 4 is a view showing the fuse ready7 to arm. y

The body 1 of the fuse is of the usual type, threaded left-handed as at 2 for the major part ot its length, the threads ending in a reduced portion 3, just above the base 4, the latter being oic a considerably greater diameter than the smooth portion 3, so as to considerably overlie the threaded hole in the shell. Holes 5 are provided to receive the lugs of a Spanner wrench, the base 4 being level with the base ofthe shell when the fuse is screwed in, the base flange fitting in a counter-sunk recess in the base, as is usual.

rlhe cylindrical plunger 6 slides in the usual plunger cavity 7 in the base, and carries a firing pin S having a hardened tapered point 9. An intermediate portion 10 between the ring pin and the plunger coaxial and integral with these parts is provided on its upper face 11 with grooves or indentations 12 for a purpose hereinafter described.

The primerholder 13 is providedwith a central chamber 14 for the reception of the 5 usual mercury fulminat'e, and an orifice 15 i establishing communication between the tulminate chamber andthe shell chamber noty shown) containing the main charge. en-

Vtrally of the primer holderis a flange 16 which is supported `by shoulder 17 of the f body in such positionthat the lower face of the primer isjust above the point of the tiring pin when the plunger isresting von the bottom of the cavity. l

Slidably mounted in the groove 1S' of the i' primer is a guard member 19 composed of a block 2() integral with a slide 21, centrally perforated as at 22, to permit the tiring pin to pass through to detonate the fulminate when the guard is thrown to its eXtremeV position by centrifugal force sufficient to overcome the pressure of a spring 23 loosely received in a recess 24 in theblock. The lower surface 25 yof the block is roughened in any way, as for instance by grooves or indentations Y26, which ceperate with the grooves V12 to preventaccidental displacenient of the guard member. A

ln order to assemble the parts of the fuse, the primer chamber is filled with the chargeY of ulminate and the guard member placed in the groove, and the whole inserted in the body as .a unit. A boosting charge 27 may be used, if desired, or the primer may directly ignite the main charge' of powder through the orilice 15. In either event, the primer holder and guard are made a permanent unit when the upper rim of the body is spun over the flange of the primer holder as shown at 2S in Fig. 1.

Under ordinary circumstances the firing pin is prevented from touching the fulminate in two ways7 one, by the block 2O acting asa. stop for the shoulder between the pin and the part 10, and the other by the hole 22 being out of alinenient with the path et the point of the firing pin, due to the action et the spring 23 forcing the guard along the slot or groove to a point where the outer edge of the slide 21 will engage the wall of the body. The roughness of the parts 12 and 26 serves to prevent displacement or" the guard against the action of the spring, but such displacement is caused by any centrifugal action in the projectile, such as is given to a shell on its being fired from a riled gun. Then tired,

Vagainst the bottom of the cavity 7, disengaging the roughened surface 25 of theguard from the similarly roughened surface ll of the portion 10'so that'the vcentrifugal torce, which acts in opposition to the spring 23, throws the heavier part of the guardnl. e., the block, against the side Wall of the body and thereby withdraws the blockV from the'Y 'path ot the intermediate portion 10 ot the plunger, and alines the hole 22y With the oenl Vter of the ulminate oharge,thereby permitting' the flringpin 'to' detonate charge and 'explode the shell.

It iyill benoted 'that it isvnecessary Vfor the guard to held with the block against the Wall' of' the body, not only` at thetime,theA projectile isl fired, but, also duringall the time the shell is in flight, since as.' soon the ,cenf tritugal; toreev'is less than the strength eggerted bythe' spring, they guard will return'to normal position, 'it being lunderstood the plunger irill remain'V 'at' thefbfot'toim ofl the plunger cavity as lone; as the projectile is vin blight.v Eyen it the 'guard should bev pushed int@ arming' no'sten 111' any War; @Shy @dwp from' a considerable height, the' sliellnfonld not arm, permanently, but the guard would.

return' toy normal position as soon as'the plun-V holding the holder andguardwith saidap'er- A tures positioned out of alinenient With eaeh other, said guardand primer holderbeing nently positioned@ alnement with the firing pin, a: slidably mounted guard having an opening, therein, and means for normally holding theopening's in the primer helder andguard outl of registry, said. means being' adapted toyieldunder centrifugal force and permit theopeningin the guard to be moved into reestxywithtlie Opening inthe Primer holderandinto alinement with the tiring pin.

4. In aV fuse,l a body, a ring pin slidably mounted inthe body, a primer holder having an aperture therein permanently positioned in alinement with the firing pin, a slidably mounted guard having` an opening` therein, a springy for normally holding` the openings out of registry with each other, said spring' being adapted to yield under centrifugal torce and permit the openings to be moved into registry with each other and into alinement With the tiring pin, and means for pre- Venting moyementof-.the tiring pin until the openings in the primer holder and guard hav@ belbl'ought into absolute registry with each other.

E. n. PILLARS. HENRY o. Lnnsnnnne. 

